MLB Playoff Expansion: Does This Make It More Difficult for Top Teams to Win?

According to ESPN, Commissioner Bud Selig is ready to expand the MLB playoffs from eight teams to 10 as early as next year.

While this has ramifications for just about everyone, the teams hit the hardest by this change might just be the best in the league.

The proposed change would make it so two wild-card teams battle it out in a "play-in" series, with the winner most likely facing the top seed in what I suppose will still be called the Divisional Series.

But seriously, how can this possibly be anything but bad for that top seed?

Almost nothing changes for them, except that, in the Divisional Series, they will play either the first or second-best wild card team as opposed to the only wild card team (assuming it is not a division rival).

Is there really that much of a drop off between the first and second wild cards? Probably not, especially once every team brings their best to the playoffs. 

And even if the top seed gets to play the "worst" wild card, wouldn't that wild card have tremendous momentum and confidence going in, after just pulling off an "upset?"

Just ask Virginia Commonwealth if momentum helps.

Okay, you say, but what about the fact that the top seed will get about a week off to rest?

Well, audience, I say that the extra rest has the potential to make a team rusty. And possibly get their head off-track.

And as for those wild card starting pitchers coming in with "tired" arms?

If they make it through a season of 162 games, I don't think that one extra start in the wild card round will kill their arms. There is more rest in the playoffs anyways, and they will get all the time they need in between starts.

So, in this new system, what you have is a top seed still playing a wild card team, but playing one with more momentum and more confidence. And they'll have to do it after sitting around for at least a week.

Things are about to get a lot tougher for the top teams. 

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